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Question 7 from the first paper of 2004 asked the candidates to "outline the potential advantages and disadvantages of a tracheostomy in the weaning of patients from mechanical ventilation." This would be a gift if it were to ever appear again, but it never has. Additionally, Question 7 from the first paper of 2001 asked about aspiration in a patient with tracheostomy, and how one might go about detecting that (blue feeds were expected as a part of the answer).
A somewhat dated article by Charles Durbin seems to be a good resource for this, for various reasons but largely because it is frequently cited and because it was published in 2005 one can generally assume that it represents the state of the tracheostomy thinking during that period. Also, because it's old you can be sure the examiners have probably read it at some point. And it comes up often during Google search results, which means that modern day examiners will come across it as they write their SAQs. Another excellent resource is a 2007 review article by Paul De Leyn.
Since 2005 the literature has produced a few game-changing pieces of evidence, and so Durbin's recommendations for treatment cannot be used for exam revision in the modern era; however the physiological discussion and the list of advantages and disadvantages is worthy of respect. It has informed much of the ensuing discussion. As for the "modern" approach to the issue of when and how to offer tracheostomy, the balance of the evidence is discussed in the chapter on the indications and contraindications for this procedure.
Durbin, Charles G. "Indications for and timing of tracheostomy." Respiratory care 50.4 (2005): 483-487.
Nieszkowska, Ania, et al. "Impact of tracheotomy on sedative administration, sedation level, and comfort of mechanically ventilated intensive care unit patients*." Critical care medicine 33.11 (2005): 2527-2533.
Grap, Mary Jo, Tracy Blecha, and Cindy Munro. "A description of patients’ report of endotracheal tube discomfort." Intensive and Critical Care Nursing 18.4 (2002): 244-249.
Santos, Perry M., Ali Afrassiabi, and Ernest A. Weymuller Jr. "Risk factors associated with prolonged intubation and laryngeal injury." Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery: official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery 111.4 (1994): 453-459.
Hawkins, Donald B., and William M. Luxford. "Laryngeal Stenosis from Endotracheal Intubation A Review of 58 Cases." Annals of Otology, Rhinology & Laryngology 89.5 (1980): 454-458.
Colice, Gene L., Therese A. Stukel, and Bradley Dain. "Laryngeal complications of prolonged intubation." CHEST Journal 96.4 (1989): 877-884.
Sue, Richard D., and Irawan Susanto. "Long-term complications of artificial airways." Clinics in chest medicine 24.3 (2003): 457-471.
Davis, Kenneth, et al. "Changes in respiratory mechanics after tracheostomy." Archives of surgery 134.1 (1999): 59-62.
Mohr, Alicia M., et al. "The role of dead space ventilation in predicting outcome of successful weaning from mechanical ventilation." Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery 51.5 (2001): 843-848.
Pierson, David J. "Tracheostomy and weaning." Respiratory care 50.4 (2005): 526-533.
Lim, Chor-Kuan, et al. "Effect of Tracheostomy on Weaning Parameters in Difficult-to-Wean Mechanically Ventilated Patients: A Prospective Observational Study." PloS one 10.9 (2015): e0138294.
Koch, Tillo, et al. "Early tracheostomy decreases ventilation time but has no impact on mortality of intensive care patients: a randomized study." Langenbeck's Archives of Surgery 397.6 (2012): 1001-1008.
Terragni, Pier Paolo, et al. "Early vs late tracheotomy for prevention of pneumonia in mechanically ventilated adult ICU patients: a randomized controlled trial." Jama 303.15 (2010): 1483-1489.
Nseir, Saad, et al. "Relationship between tracheotomy and ventilator-associated pneumonia: a case–control study." European Respiratory Journal 30.2 (2007): 314-320.
Goldsmith, Tessa. "Evaluation and treatment of swallowing disorders following endotracheal intubation and tracheostomy." International anesthesiology clinics 38.3 (2000): 219-242.
De Leyn, Paul, et al. "Tracheotomy: clinical review and guidelines." European journal of cardio-thoracic surgery 32.3 (2007): 412-421.
Shaker, Reza, et al. "Deglutitive aspiration in patients with tracheostomy: effect of tracheostomy on the duration of vocal cord closure." Gastroenterology 108.5 (1995): 1357-1360.
Pannunzio, Tracy G. "Aspiration of oral feedings in patients with tracheostomies." AACN Advanced Critical Care 7.4 (1996): 560-569.
Cameron, J. L., J. Reynolds, and G. D. Zuidema. "Aspiration in patients with tracheostomies." Surg Gynecol Obstet 136.1 (1973): 68-70.
Elpern, Ellen H., et al. "Pulmonary aspiration in mechanically ventilated patients with tracheostomies." CHEST Journal 105.2 (1994): 563-566.
Morris, Linda L., and M. Sherif Afifi. "The dreaded false passage: management of tracheostomy tube dislodgement." Emergency Medicine News 33.8 (2011).
Clec’h, Christophe, et al. "Tracheostomy does not improve the outcome of patients requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation: A propensity analysis*." Critical care medicine 35.1 (2007): 132-138.
Frutos-Vivar, Fernando, et al. "Outcome of mechanically ventilated patients who require a tracheostomy*." Critical care medicine 33.2 (2005): 290-298.
Manthous, Constantine A., and Gregory A. Schmidt. "Resistive pressure of a condenser humidifier in mechanically ventilated patients." Critical care medicine 22.11 (1994): 1792-1795.
Gilony, Dror, et al. "Effects of tracheostomy on well-being and body-image perceptions." Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery 133.3 (2005): 366-371.
Narayanaswami, Pushpa, et al. "Long-term tracheostomy ventilation in neuromuscular diseases: patient acceptance and quality of life." Neurorehabilitation and neural repair 14.2 (2000): 135-139.